Data centers could potentially account for up to 9% to 10% of Texas’ water use by 2040, according to a new white paper from The University of Texas at Austin that recommends greater transparency in the industry’s water use and better coordination among stakeholders to reduce the impact of data centers on the state’s water supply.
The estimate, which includes both the water used for cooling and to produce the power needed for data centers, is part of a study that investigates water issues associated with the booming industry in Texas.
The study 'Water Use Requirements for Data Centers in Texas,' was developed by the Bureau of Economic Geology’s COMPASS research consortium, which is working with industry leaders and officials to manage data center impacts on water and power.
The study reveals that while many data centers are under development, there is still uncertainty regarding exact future water needs due to varying cooling technologies and energy sources.
According to Mariam Arzumanyan, a postdoctoral fellow at the Bureau of Economic Geology, a research unit of the UT Jackson School of Geosciences, “There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the water use for data centers. People don’t know how much water is going to be needed. There is not a unified understanding of the technologies used for cooling, or how much water that technology would use.”
More than 400 data centers are operating or under construction in Texas and that more are planned. The water use estimates in the study primarily include the water used on-site to cool the computer servers housed by the data centers and the water needed to produce the energy that powers the facilities which is significant because data centers use a lot of power which from natural gas, coal or nuclear energy, which also consume significant volumes of water for cooling — about 5% of the state’s water use.
Thus far, policy recommendations include: -Greater awareness and systematic communication among key stakeholders, including data center operators, utilities, municipalities, state agencies, and private developers.
-Better mapping and accounting for projected industry growth in waterstressed regions of the state.
-Working toward integrated planning frameworks that combine hydrologic projections, grid capacity models, land-use constraints, and permitting processes.
Arzumanyan said an integrated planning framework is vital because Texas water is governed by many entities — including cities, groundwater conservation districts, private suppliers, river authorities, the state Water Development Board and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
UT researchers are exploring solutions to address the demands of growing data center development including the use of geothermal energy as a potential source of reliable, low-carbon power for data center operations, as well as wide-ranging innovations across the power delivery spectrum — from an advanced thermal interface material that reduces cooling demands to developing converters and nextgeneration power technologies to accommodate load growth.
Meanwhile, Texas citizens and community advocates are actively protesting the rapid expansion of water-intensive AI data centers for fear these facilities threaten public drinking water supplies.
In places like Amarillo, citizens are questioning the use of groundwater for data centers, arguing it should be prioritized for agricultural use rather than depleting aquifers.
Residents have rallied at the Capitol, urging Governor Abbott to call a special session to address the environmental impacts, including demanding greater transparency on water consumption.